I Want To Know You
by Maddison Jayne
Summary: Ivy has always had trouble with her inner workings, depression and suicidal tendancies edging on her psyche almost all the time, until she meets Aomine. As she gets to know him and the other basketballers, a light finally starts to break into her life. disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Kuroko no Basuke. all reviews are appreciated, let me know what you think
1. Chapter 1

_Ivy groaned, her head throbbing painfully. She couldn't remember why though. Her body was heavy and cold, feeling like a block of ice. Though, there was a warmth tight against her chest, and around her thighs. Trying to open her eyes slowly, grumbled, realising that she couldn't. What had happened to her? Why was she in so much pain? There was an agonising burn in her right thigh, the burn feeling like it was dripping down her calve and off the tips of her toes. Trying to piece together her foggy mind, she tried to speak. "W-where am I?" there was no reply, but the warmth on the back of her thighs shifted a little. At least she had been right, there was someone carrying her. Her eyes still refusing to open, she heard a gasp, the sound of cars slowly filled her ears, and the familiar sounds of a hospital._

 _"What on earth happened?" it was the voice of a hysterical woman. The warmth on her chest left her, a stiffness meeting her back._

 _"She fell." That voice, it was familiar, though not one that she knew well. "From the rocks." His voice was smooth, and deep. Edging on concerned. "I was walking past and saw her." the nurse was scratching away with a pen, writing down what happened._

 _"How long was she in the water?"_

 _"Maybe ten minutes." His voice was so soothing, Ivy felt as if she could fall asleep listening to it. "There's a pretty deep cut on her thigh, and she banged her head pretty hard." So that's why her head was throbbing. "She wasn't breathing when I pulled her out, but I got her to again." His voice was getting quieter. "Her name's Ivy Peters, she's a student at Seirin High School. Says so in her wallet." His voice was moving further away from her, she had no idea who he was, maybe she'd seen him around her school somewhere, and that's why he sounded familiar. She tried again to open her eyes, only to have them forced open and blinded by a light._

 _"Thank you, sir. Are you a relation?" the nurse questioned the voice._

 _"No, I have nothing to do with her." he answered, before she heard his footsteps rush off._

Blinking slowly, Ivy reached for her head. There was a bandage around her head. Why was there a bandage around her head? Sighing, she looked around the room she was in. was she in a hospital? What was going on? Startled, she stared at the door as it opened. "U-uhm…"

"Oh, Miss Peters, you're awake." A slim black haired woman said with a soft smile. She was wearing a nurses' uniform. That makes sense, if she was in a hospital. "You've been asleep for the last three hours."

"What's…going on?" her head throbbed lightly, but the pain was bearable. Looking at her arm, there was an IV connected, something dripping into her system. "Where am I?"

"Oh dear," the black haired nurse smiled again, touching her arm. "You're in hospital, Dear, you had an accident at the beach."

"Yes, but how am I here?" Ivy hated not knowing what was going on, she needed to know the details. She looked at the clock above the door. "Is it ten am or ten pm? What hospital is this? Why aren't my parents here?" her voice was crackling a little as she spoke, she didn't notice, but the nurse did.

"Your parents aren't able to be here, for some reason neither of them will answer our calls. A young man brought you here after you fell at the beach, and it is ten am." The nurse checked her vitals. "You've been here all night."

"A young man brought me in?"

"Yes," the nurse's smile widened a little. "He was quite a looker, even with that scowl on his face." there was the faintest blush on the young woman's face, though it quickly disappeared. "Is there someone we can contact for you?"

"Not really, my parents are both out of the country on a business trip." Ivy sighed again, touching her head again. Now she remembered, her parents weren't with her because they weren't around. "Do I have to stay here long? Were my things brought in?"

"Are you sure there's no one we can call?" the nurse pushed again, looking at her notes. Ivy frowned, shaking her head.

"Do I have a concussion?"

"No, just a minor wound." The nurse admitted, sighing a little. "You also have fifteen stitches in your thigh, you can't move it around too much." She looked at the door. "The Doctor will be in shortly to check you over."

"If I don't have a concussion, isn't there rules that say I can go?"

"Do you not like hospitals?" The nurse's chocolate eyes crinkled a little as she smiled. "I'm sure there are worse places to be."

"I can't think of any." Ivy mumbled under her breath, laying back. She stared up at the ceiling, her forest green eyes clouding. "I suppose you know what's best."

Aomine balanced his basketball carefully in one hand, staring at the ceiling of his bedroom. Two days had passed since he fished that crazy girl out of the ocean. What had she been thinking? He threw the ball up, before catching it again, frowning. "Crazy woman." He mumbled, rolling onto his side to think.

 _Aomine walked along the road, sighing. He had just finished practicing with Kuroko, deciding to take the long way home. He looked over towards the ocean, wondering why people always commented on how beautiful the beach was during the sunset. Squinting a little, he spotted a dark figure against the light of the sky. She was standing on the ledge of a cliff, looking out over the water. He tilted his head a little, he noted how her amber hair caught the light, the long tresses catching in the light breeze. If he didn't know any better he could have sworn he saw tears on her cheeks. He took a hesitant step closer, staring at her. She wore a simple top and skirt, no shoes. Though her legs were covered in thigh high black socks. He took in the sight of her body, the way she moved as she shifted her weight from leg to leg. Was she thinking about something sad? Why on earth did he want to know? He noted the swell of her breasts, the obvious curves of her hips and thighs, she wasn't Japanese, at least, not fully. He took another step towards her. Maybe this was his lucky day. Just as he opened his mouth to call out to her, his eyes widened. She stepped off the edge of the low cliff, plummeting towards the rocks and water below. Swearing loudly, he ran towards the path to the water. He needed to get her out of the water, or she'd die._

 _It took him ten minutes to get her out of the water, her clothes soaked right through, body shivering from shock. He checked her breathing, swearing as he noticed there was no rise or fall of her chest. Not quite sure what to do, he shook her a little, causing her to cough up considerable amounts of water. He swore at her again. She was bleeding pretty badly, and all he could think was he needed to get her to the hospital. Reaching into her pocket, he pulled out her wallet, frowning. There was a small charm attached, a basketball. He shook his head, checking her id, what her name was, where she lived. Before slipping it back into her pocket. He moved her carefully, finally managing to get her onto his back. He carried her to the nearest hospital, before hightailing it home._

Aomine looked up at Satsuki as she threw a pillow at him. "What?"

"You didn't answer your phone." She stated plainly, crossing her arms with a pout firmly plastered on her face. "We're supposed to be going to see Tetsu today."

"I don't feel like it." The memory of the girl trying to commit suicide in front of him was gnawing at his brain like a rabid dog. "I plan on staying in bed for the rest of the break."

"Please? Tetsu wanted to see you again, for more training."

"No." he rolled over so his back was facing her. He did want to talk to Kuroko, but not yet. He needed to get his own mind around what he'd witnessed.

"Fine, be boring." The annoying woman huffed, stomping out.

Ivy looked at herself in the mirror, frowning. The graze on her head was getting better, and she could hide it behind her hair, but nothing she did could take away the pain she felt inside. It had been two weeks since her 'accident', and slowly, the memories of what she tried to do came back to her. She remembered standing on the cliff, crying, but after that her mind kept going blank. Had she really tried to kill herself because her of family situation? It was true her parents were both out of the country, but that was because they couldn't stand the sight of each other, nor could they stomach seeing the child they had made together. Her father blamed her for everything that went wrong in his life, the money troubles he encountered, the gambling, even that her mother was cheating on him with a rich British Nobel. When she couldn't stand it anymore, she had moved out, taking what she could. The little money she could make working after school, along with what her grandparents could send her kept her alive. Looking at her hands, she sighed. That boy, whoever he was, had saved her life. She didn't even know what he looked like.

Running a brush through her hair, she sighed. Trying to get herself back into some asemblance of normalcy she had decided to go and cheer on her school's basketball team during their practice match. A friend of hers had tipped her off that they were playing one of the teams they had defeated during the winter cup the year before. She wanted to see it. The way those large men handled themselves, made her forget about her own issues. She herself wasn't exactly built to do sports. She couldn't run too fast or her breasts would start to hurt from bouncing around, that took out most sports. She had similar troubles with swimming, not being streamline enough to gain speed. She sighed again, running a hand over her thighs. Her stitches had been removed the day before, the nurse had been surprised at how quickly she was healing, but that was nothing new. Ivy stood, checking herself in the mirror again.

She nodded slowly, wearing a pair of fitted jeans, simple running shoes, and a simple black and red shirt, low enough cut to show things off without being too revealing. It clung to her curves just right, but hid any imperfections she saw about herself. Nodding in approval, she quickly pulled her hair into a messy side braid, not wanting to get too messed up, nor risk her thick fringe moving away from her healing skin. Taking her shoulder bag and a pair of sunglasses, she walked towards the door of her apartment. Her friend had agreed to meet her at the game, which was outside.

Walking quickly, Ivy waved to her friend as she spotted her. The petite Japanese girl smiled at her, black hair framing her face perfectly. She was standing with a tall man, who she knew was on the team. He adjusted his glasses, giving her a look. "Kimi, am I late?"

"Of course not!" her friend hugged her, grinning. "They're waiting on the other team's ace. He's running late." She pointed up to the man with her. "Have you met my brother?"

"No, I haven't." Ivy blinked, surprised that she didn't know her best friend's brother happened to be the captain of the basketball team. "How did I not know he was your brother?"

"He's my dirty little secret." Kimi teased, linking arms with her friend. "Let's get a good seat in the grass so we can watch my brother's team kick butt."

"Sure." Ivy smiled. Kimi was the perfect distraction. She could take whatever bad things going on in Ivy's head and turn them into kittens and rainbows. Kimi just had that effect on people. Ivy watched closely at the two teams warmed up, taking note of the boys she recognised from their school, two of them even seemed to be from her grade. She smiled, leaning on her friend. "So…you have a crush on any of the boys?"

"Oh gross!" Kimi giggled, jabbing her friend in the side. "You know I don't swing that way." She giggled, looking over at their rivals. "The manager for Tōō is absolutely adorable though. She's been strutting back and forth over there on the phone since I got here." A small purring sound left her throat. "Her butt looks great in that tiny little skirt."

"You're a worry, Kimi, my friend." Ivy smiled, looking up as a ball landed right in front of them. A large red-haired man ran over, looking apologetic. Moving quickly, she picked up the ball, smiling at him. "You seem to have dropped this." She spoke carefully, handing it over. Her eyes travelled over his body, he was so well built for a high schooler. He smiled at her awkwardly, taking the ball.

"Thanks." He turned, throwing the ball back to the others, not staying for a chat. Sitting back down, Ivy sighed, thinking about the hospital again.

"Hey, Kimi. You know, I need some help finding someone." She smiled awkwardly.

"Oh?" Kimi was nibbling on a gummi snake, smiling at her. "I might be able to help."

"I don't know…I have no idea what he looks like…I only know his voice."


	2. Chapter 2

Aomine walked slowly, hands shoved in his pockets. Satsuki had organised a practice match with Seirin, and he was already ten minutes late. Grumbling, he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. There was nothing worse than having to wake up early during the holidays. Finally, he found the court they were playing on. He looked around, frowning a little. Kuroko was there, Kagami too, this was going to be good. He stepped closer to the court, only to freeze. Sitting in the grass alongside the court, was the girl who haunted his every thought. Why on earth was she here? He watched her for a moment, a small smile forming on her lips. She looked happy, at least for the moment. His eyebrow twitched a little as the orange haired girl spoke to Kagami, handing him the ball he'd dropped. He stomped closer to the courts. He was going to defeat that bastard if it was the last thing he did. Throwing his bag and jacket down, he stretched his arms in front of him. "Slacking off are we?" he stated plainly, voice loud enough to catch everyone's attention.

"You're the one who's late, Ahomine!" Kagami spat at him, walking over with a grin. "Thought you'd chickened out."

"In your dreams, Bakagami." He laughed, shoving him a little. His eyes trailed over to the girls sitting on the grass. "You got yourself some groupies?"

"The little ones the Captain's sister, the other one, I think she's from my class, must be her friend." He shrugged. "Why? You jealous?"

"You wish." He shoved the red-haired male lightly, before snatching the ball in his hands. "Let's get this started."

Ivy stared at the court. A large, lithe man with dark skin and hair had appeared out of nowhere. There was something about his voice that had made her stare. It was him, it had to be. Shaking her head, she decided that she was dreaming, why on earth would a man that looked like that, help her out? The way he spoke instantly put her on edge, he was arrogant. Pulling her knees to her chest, she watched the game closely. As it raged on, the two aces stripped their singlets, playing skin on skin.

Blinking, Ivy looked down to Kimi. "You can't tell me, seeing two men who look like that doesn't interest you?"

"They're the only ones still playing, it's turned into a one-on-one." Kimi stated boredly, looking over to the rest of the team. "Looks like their getting ready to go home, guess I should keep up with them." She jumped up, smiling at her friend. "Are you coming?"

"I think I'm gonna stay and watch this." She answered, watching the two teens squabble over the ball.

Hours passed, and the sun began to set. Ivy watched closely as the game finally died. Both men flopping onto the court exhausted. She walked a little closer, holding two water bottles she had purchased. "U-uhm…" she cleared her throat, stumbling over what to say. "You look thirsty, I-I got you water."

Kagami looked up at her with an awkward smile. "Thanks." He took the bottle she offered, taking a large gulp. "You're from my grade, right?"

"Yeah, I'm in the class above you though. Better grades and all." She teased. "Kimi asked me to come, but once you two started fighting, I couldn't stop watching." She stated, looking at the dark skinned man.

"You hear that, Ahomine, she likes how we play." Kagami kicked the bluette lightly.

Aomine looked up, eyes holding an air of boredom. He took the water slowly, before moving to sit up. "Yeah." He looked away from her. Ivy frowned a little, feeling slightly rejected. She wanted to try talking to the blue haired man, even if it was just to find out whether he'd seen her jump or if he'd found her afterwards. Sighing, she turned slowly.

"I guess you guys are all done now, I should go."

"Wait." The words left his mouth before he could stop them. Surprising himself. Aomine looked at her, then Kagami, very seriously. "You go, she can stay."

Kagami looked at him, frowning a little. "Seriously?"

"Yes. Seriously. Go away." Aomine practically spat at his friend. Standing slowly, he looked down at the amber-haired woman next to him. "You…I want to talk to."

"Really?" her eyes flashed a little, though she looked extremely nervous. There was something hidden in those dark green orbs that made him want to get to know her.

"Yeah. I need to talk to you." He scratched the back of his head, looking at Kagami as he stomped off. Once they were finally alone, he huffed, walking over and flopping down in the grass. "You jumped off a cliff."

"I-I…" she sat next to him, pulling her knees to her chest. "Yeah."

"Why?" Aomine looked up at her. "Why the fuck would you jump off a cliff?"

"I don't need to explain myself to you."

"Yes you do." Aomine felt a tick in the back of his mind. No, she didn't have to tell him what was going on in her head, but he deserved to know why he had to jump into the ocean after her, didn't he? He kept his eyes on her as her face darkened. She looked much more like she had on that cliff now. He wanted to reach out and touch her, calm her down. She looked like she was about to cry again.

"Why did you save me?" she turned on him, green eyes ablaze, the whites of her eyes tinted with red. Tears rolling down her face slowly. "How dare you?!" she hit his chest hard. She hit him, again and again. "What gave you the right?!" she shook his shoulders roughly, banging him against the grass.

Aomine growled a little, grabbing her roughly, flipping her over so he was above her. He pinned her to the grass, glaring into her eyes. "I saved you, because I didn't think you should die." He held her roughly as she fought against him. "You're much too beautiful to die this young."

Soon, she calmed down enough for him to let her go. The wound on her head was visible now, though it had been hidden under her hair earlier, it looked much better. He gently cupped her face. "Tell me why you jumped."

Ivy panted lightly, looking up at him with angry eyes. How dare he save her life? Who was he to decide it wasn't her time? "I jumped…because no one wants me. My mother and father couldn't wait to get me out, my grandparents are only sending me money so I don't try to live with them, my only friend never has enough time for me… I… I just…" she started to cry again, hot tears burning their way down her face. She tried to turn away, rubbing her face lightly. "I need to go, please." She struggled to get out from under him, breathing heavily now. She needed to get away from him. There was something about him that made her want to talk about her feelings, something that made her feel that she was safe. Safe wasn't good. She needed to get away, be by herself, trusting people only caused heartache. Finally, he let her up, laying on his back, lazily staring up at the sky.

"You need to trust someone." He sat up, sighing a little.

She barely heard him as she ran, clinging to her bag for dear life. Nothing was ever as simple as it sounded in a deep manly voice. Trust, she hadn't trusted anyone since she was a young child. Since her parents had been so demeaning, manipulative and abusive, she had learnt at a young age that trust was for the weak. She ran onto the train just as the doors were closing, taking a deep breath.

Aomine watched as the ball swished through the basket again, huffing. School had started again, meaning he was able to use the school gym during rainy days. Listening to the rain bounce off of the roof soothed him. He was still a little bruised from that girl's attack on him. For a small woman, she had one hell of a punch. He rubbed his chest lightly, going to retrieve the ball. He hoped that she was alright. He didn't even really know her, but that didn't matter. She was all he thought about. Something in her life had gone wrong, she had lost hope. He knew how that felt, he had lost his love for basketball, and his friends, all very suddenly. He wanted to help her, but Kuroko refused to tell him anything about her. The small bluette was keeping an eye on her though. The way he spoke about her confused Aomine, at school, she came across as a happy, popular girl. Lots of friends, good grades, the works. He shot the ball again, frowning. Her front was a little different to his, where he acted like an arrogant arsehole, she acted like a happy princess.

Rolling the ball around in his hands, he sighed. He wanted to see her again, but he didn't want to risk getting beaten up by a girl again. Closing his eyes, he remembered how she had felt pinned below him, squirming for freedom. A smirk formed on his lips, throwing the ball over his shoulder into the basket again. If he could gain her trust, maybe he could help her through whatever troubles she was having, and maybe she'd pay him back for beating on him, in a nice way. He closed his eyes, thinking about the way her lips moved as she talked, they had been nice and plump, lips that were made for kissing. He walked a little way from the court, reaching for his jacket and bag, looking out at the rain as it poured. He sighed, looking back at the court as he flicked the lights off. "I really need to invest in an umbrella."

Ivy twirled her hair around her finger, looking at the team as they practiced. Kimi leant on her, blabbering about the coach of the team being a total babe, but completely off limits because she was dating her brother. "I swear, she's like a devil woman, look at how she's pushing them." Kimi tugged Ivy's arm. "Are you even listening to me?"

"Oh, sorry." Ivy smiled at her friend, moving to pull her jacket around her tighter. She had begun wearing Kagami's basketball jacket in recent days, having gotten closer to the tall redheaded Ace. She tore her eyes away from the basketball to smile brighter at her friend. "You were saying how attractive the coach is, yes?"

"You're so spacy lately, what's going on with you?"

Ivy winced internally. She still hadn't told Kimi about her problems. Their friendship had been built on her being a happy, outgoing socialite, she was sure the little darkhaired girl didn't know about her true self. That dark swirling that hid inside of her, bubbling away at her psyche, bringing her ever downwards. She forced a big grin, snuggling into the jacket around her shoulders more. "I've been getting pretty close to the guys lately, I'm just super-duper happy." She lied, bumping her friend with her elbow. "I better get going soon, I've got work tonight." She worked at a convenience store, usually only working evenings and nights, she hadn't been able to work since her accident, and she desperately needed the money. Standing up, she carefully took Kagami's jacket off, smiling at him as he looked over to her.

Jogging over to her, he frowned a little. "Are you leaving already?"

"I've gotta get to work, thanks for letting me borrow your jacket while I was here." She patted his arm lightly. "You have gotta be more careful though, Tiger, or people will start thinking we're dating." She threw in his pet-name to throw people off. He'd been overly nice to her since Aomine had forced him to leave them to chat. He never asked her stupid questions about what was going on in her mind, and she was comfortable with that. He and Kuroko spent a lot of time following her around, walking her home, spending time alone in her apartment so that there was someone there all night. They had a good set up, Kuroko and Kagami could be together in every way they wanted, and she could be their scapegoat. She didn't mind, having someone in her home almost all the time forced her away from the bubbling blackness in her mind. She hugged his shoulders lightly. "Go get sweaty, you know where the keys are, I'll be late."

Kimi gasped, tugging her friend's shirt. "Did you just?" she half squealed, bouncing on her seat. "You're totally sleeping with the Ace!"

Ivy rolled her eyes, of course that's what her friends were going to think. It was practically unheard of for a girl to have male friends and not be trying to date them. Forcing an innocent smile, she patted her friend's shoulder. "I'm not sleeping with him." With that, she rushed out, smiling a little.

Aomine sighed grumpily, walking into a convenience store. He'd been out for a drink with Kuroko and Kagami, wanting to find out how his amber-haired minx was. He was pleased to hear that she had been starting to perk up, though he didn't know if that was just how she put herself across to others. Walking towards the magazines, he reached for the latest issue of his favourite model's works. He looked around slowly, before picking up the book. He flipped through the pages, sighing. Ever since he had seen Ivy on the cliff, Mai-Chan just wasn't doing it for him. He didn't know if it was her brown hair, or that she was only two dimensional, there was just something that didn't line up. He huffed, shoving the book back onto the shelf. Rubbing the back of his head slightly, he looked around. The staff seemed to be non-existent. Walking over to the snacks, he reached for a packet of potato chips. He rubbed the back of his head again, yawning loudly, he had pushed himself harder while he was practicing recently, and it wore him out. Without looking, he placed the chips on the counter, reaching for his wallet.

A small sound came from behind the counter, causing him to blink. He looked at the clerk, before jumping back, pointing directly in her face. "What the hell are you doing here?!" He snapped before he could stop himself. Frowning, he tried to regain his composure. She stared up at him with wide green eyes, shock obvious on her face. There was a little anger in her eyes still, but it had dulled since last they spoke. Straightening up, he glared at her. "I've still got a bruise you know."

"I don't know what you're talking about, sir." She spoke quickly, her manager walking past them on their left. "Will that be all?" she pointed to his chips.

"Yeah. That's all." He shoved the money onto the counter, still glaring at her. "When do you get your break?"

"When the store closes." She spat at him quickly, ringing his purchase up on the register. She let out a breath, handing him his change. Their fingers brushed together for a moment, sending a jolt of electricity through him.

"When is that?" he pushed her. That jolt was enough to tell him that he needed to spend more time with this strange woman. The place on his hand where her fingers had brushed still tingled a little. "We need to talk."

"No we don't." She stated plainly. "I have nothing more to say to you, Aomine. You had no right to do that for me." She turned away from him slightly, the slightly different tone of her scarred flesh shone in the light. She was wearing make-up to hide the disfiguration, though it wasn't bad enough that anyone would notice if they weren't looking closely. He sighed, picking up his potato chips, starting to walk out. He leant on the wall outside, deciding that if she didn't want to talk, he'd just wait for her.


	3. Chapter 3

Ivy leant on the wall in the staffroom, breathing heavily. Why did he keep popping up in her life? That bastard had taken her choices away from her, even if it was only once. She banged the back of her head against the wall lightly, grumbling. "I refuse." She gripped her shirt tightly over her stomach, feeling the gnawing feeling of her emotions building again. The darkness was threatening to take her again. Her body slowly slid down the wall, tears threating to spill down her cheeks. She took a few deep breaths, trying desperately to calm herself. Her body began to shake as she rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet, sobbing desperately. The darkness inside causing her true physical pain. Why couldn't he have just let her end it right then and there? What was the reason behind her survival? The pain was supposed to go away, she couldn't live like this much longer. Slowly, she stood up, rubbing her face gently to remove the trail of her tears. She couldn't let this keep her from work, she needed the money, or she'd lose her apartment. Pausing for a moment, she frowned. Why did she need to keep her apartment if she wanted to end her life?

Mulling this over, she walked back into the store, heading straight to the register, raising an eyebrow as Kagami stood there, grinning at her. "We ate all your food, I thought I'd come grab some for you." He indicated the chips and other snacks piled up on the counter. Without thinking, she rushed over to him, hugging him tightly. She rubbed her face against his chest, mumbling. He obviously didn't hear her, gently placing a hand on her head, stroking her hair lightly. "Whatever it is, you know we'll be there when you get home." His words were soft, sweet.

Taking a shaky breath, she looked up at him. "I have something really important to talk to you two about." She stood up on her tiptoes, kissing his cheek very lightly. "I think I finally found a little light in the shadows."

Aomine rubbed his head as he walked back into the store. He'd finished his potato chips, and needed something to drink. Looking to the counter, he stopped dead. Was she… hugging Kagami? He felt an involuntary twitch form in his right eyebrow. He stormed over, grabbing the redheaded man by the shoulder roughly, yanking him away from her. "What the hell, Kagami?! Didn't Kuroko tell you?" He shoved the man hard, causing him to knock over a magazine rack.

Kagami stared at him for a moment, before reacting, shoving him back roughly. "The fuck, man! I didn't do anything!"

Aomine practically growled, swinging at him. The punch connected with Kagami's jaw, causing Ivy to yell out. He froze in his action, not seeing Kagami swing his own punch. His head spun as the blow connected with his cheek. He swore he saw stars when he stared down at the woman forcing her way between the fighting teens. He pointed to Kagami angrily. "Are you dating this loser?"

"No!" they both yelled at him.

Ivy couldn't think. Why on earth did Aomine think she was dating Kagami? Everyone thought they were dating. She had a moment of weakness when she had seen him standing there. She needed the feeling of another human's touch, desperately. When she had hugged him, she had never thought anyone would start throwing punches. She glared up at the bluette, crossing her arms. "Why are you back here anyway? Isn't what I do my own business?"

"You refused to talk to me, so I was waiting for you."

"So you're a creepy stalker?" Ivy shuddered, looking at him angrily. Even with the realisation that what he had done was the right thing, even with the darkness grinding away at her insides, she knew she didn't really want to die. He had made her realise this, and she was grateful, though she didn't need him hovering around outside her workplace like a stalker. "If you don't get out right now, I'm calling the police."

"Listen, Ivy, it's not like that." He pushed, his eyes looking a little less angry now. There was real fear hidden behind that angry face. She felt a little sorry for him, but she really wasn't ready to admit that he had been right. "Please. Don't call the police."

"Are you going to leave?" she asked, looking up at Kagami. "You too. You need to go before my mana-" as she was speaking, her manager walked out, seeing the mess the squabbling men had made.

"What on earth is going on here?!" he shrieked, his balding head shining in the bright lights of the store. "Ivy, explain yourself!"

"I-I'm so sorry, Mr Yakamora, it's all my fault."

"Of course it is!" his voice grated away at her mind, causing her to shudder. It was like nails down a chalkboard. "First you run in late, then you take an unscheduled break." He stamped his foot. "And now you're causing fights between customers! This is the final straw." He held out his hand. "Give me your apron, you're fired!"

Ivy froze as her world began to crash in around her again. She'd lost her job? Slowly, she removed her apron, handing it to him. Darkness began to cloud the edges of her vision as she walked very slowly towards the staffroom, collecting her bag. Walking back into the main store, she didn't even notice Kagami and Aomine arguing with her former manager. She walked right between them, out into the dark street. Something in the darkness seemed to giggle, whispering slowly. "You've lost everything. How are you going to afford to live now?" The voice grew louder and louder, the pain in her stomach bursting to life again. Trudging towards her apartment, she stepped onto the road without looking. A horn blared as a car narrowly missed hitting her, though her path didn't alter. Covering her ears, she tried to walk faster, but the pain in her stomach wouldn't allow it. Hot tears began to form in her eyes, threatening to overflow again. How was it, every single time she began to feel better, something bad had to happen?

Aomine blinked, watching as Ivy walked out. He looked at Kagami with an angry face. The manager had refused to listen to any of their pleas for Ivy's job. He wasn't sure if he should go after her, or if he should just leave her be. It was his fault she'd lost her job after all. "You're not dating her?"

"No. You fucking idiot. Kuroko told me that you'd asked him to watch her, he assumed you had a good reason, so I agreed to help out. She's a pretty cool girl you know." He sighed, starting to follow her, indicating for Aomine to follow. "She lets Kuroko and I use her apartment when she's not there, just so there's someone in it. She's pretty paranoid that someone's going to break in when she's not there." He began to jog when he spotted a car narrowly miss Ivy on the road. "Kuroko thinks she's got depression or something, every now and then she drops that smile of hers, and you can see some serious sadness in those big green eyes."

Finally, they caught up with Ivy. They were on a bridge that passed over the train tracks. Aomine rushed forward, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Now, we wouldn't want a repeat of the beach would we?" He stated plainly, noticing the tears roll down her face. "I'm really sorry you lost your job." He remembered her telling him that she was supporting herself. Guilt filled his chest. "Look, I'll help you find a new one. If I hadn't started that fight this wouldn't have happened."

She didn't speak, just staring up at him with blank eyes. Something in those eyes showed him just how broken she really was. No matter the front she put up in front of all those people, he could finally see it, the little broken pieces inside of her. Before he could do anything, Kagami shoved him out of the way, hugging the curvy woman in front of them.

Ivy blinked slowly. She looked to her right, realising that she was standing on top of the pedestrian bridge over the train tracks. Why was Kagami hugging her so tightly? Looking up, she realised that Aomine was standing behind them, a weird mix of anger and worry on his face. Had she tried to jump again? She didn't remember much once the car honked at her. Moving a little, she mumbled. "Kagami?"

"What were you trying to do?" Kagami's voice was filled with worry. It hurt to see someone so scared for her. It hurt, everything hurt. She leant heavily on him, wincing lightly.

"I don't think she knew what she was doing." Aomine spoke slowly. She looked away, in her mind, there was a foggy picture of Aomine staring down into her eyes, speaking to her, but she had no idea what he was saying. "I saw her eyes, Kagami, it was like her body was on autopilot."

"People don't go on autopilot, Ahomine, I saw her too, she was going to jump!" he yelled, holding her tighter.

A quote rose into her mind, causing a tiny glimmer of a smile to twitch onto her lips. _'One day, someone's going to hug you so tightly, all your broken pieces will stick back together.'_ She pushed at his chest lightly, blinking a few more times, trying desperately to push the darkness back from her mind. "I wasn't going to jump." She assured him slowly, though she wasn't sure of it herself. When the darkness inside her grew too much for her to handle, she lost control of her thoughts, she didn't remember what was happening around her. Though, the darkness was finally reseeding from her vision, the picture she saw clearer than before.

Kagami shook his head, standing up to his full height, lifting her with him. "I'm taking you home." He looked at Aomine, swallowing slowly. "I think you need to go. Stalker's aren't supposed to be shown where their victim lives." There was an air of joking about his words, but Ivy hardly noticed.

"Oh very funny, Bakagami." He spat at the redhead. Ivy looked at him slowly, she wanted to ask him to come, but she was afraid. Afraid that if she let any more people into her life she'd end up losing them all. She shook her head at him, indicating the road with her eyes. He noticed this, sighing a little. He turned, hand held over his head in defeat. "Whatever, I'll catch you Sunday." Sunday? That was three days from now, what on earth did he have planned for Sunday?

Kagami rolled his eyes, beginning to walk towards Ivy's apartment. He refused to put her back on the ground, walking in silence for a while. "Wanna explain why you completely lost it back there? Most teenage girls who lose their jobs start screaming about how it's not fair."

"It's a long story."

Aomine kicked a can as he reached his home. He silently unlocked the door, sneaking into the house. Lucky for him no one heard him enter. He headed straight up to his bedroom, silently locking his door behind him. He had school in the morning, but there was no way he was going to actually pay attention, not after the night he'd had. Those broken eyes still haunted him, staring up at him without actually seeing. What else was he supposed to do? He wanted to help her. Stripping his clothes off slowly, he threw them into a messy pile on his floor. Once he was only in his boxers, he flopped back on his bed, pulling the pillow over his head.

Groaning, Aomine rolled over to find his phone as it buzzed. He'd fallen asleep, thinking about Ivy again. He opened one eye to read the phone, a scowl forming on his face. "Three am. Three fucking am." He opened the message as it flashed at him again. "What?!" he growled at the phone, before he had even read the message.

 _"Ivy is feeling a little better now, she said that if you want to see her again, you can come to her apartment tomorrow after school."_

Aomine blinked again, was he dreaming? Kuroko had sent him a message, at three am, just to tell him that Ivy wanted to see him. He must have still been dreaming. He shoved his phone back onto his bedside table, rolling away from it with a grumble, curling into a tight ball. Dreaming was better than nothing, but still, three am?

Mornings had never been Aomine's favourite time of day, he rolled out of bed very slowly, slamming his hand on his alarm clock. Seven am, too early. He forced himself out of bed, trudging towards the bathroom to shower. How much trouble would he get in if he skipped school all together? He could use emotional turmoil as an excuse, right? Grumbling, he stripped off his boxers, before turning on the shower.

Ivy curled into a ball, lying on her couch, staring at the window. She had a TV, but nothing that was played during the day ever caught her interest. She stared intensely at the building across from her apartment, wondering what she could do to fill in her day. Kagami and Kuroko had left early that morning for school, leaving her to her own devices. Rubbing her stomach, she sighed. She felt numb. There was no darkness bubbling, no light daring to break through, absolutely nothing. Sitting up, she decided she needed to eat.

Kagami had prepared her some lunch, making her promise that she would eat it while they were at school. Grumbling, she looked at the stuffed omelette in the fridge. Pulling it out slowly, she took it to the table. Sitting slowly, she stared at the food, wondering what she was supposed to do if she didn't want to eat it. If she threw it in the bin her friends would notice, if she ate it, she was sure her stomach would start hurting again. Laying her head on the table next to the plate, she grumbled again, grunting at the sound of the doorbell. Who on earth would be visiting her? And during school hours, what sort of idiot expected her to be home. Pushing herself up from the table, she walked to the door.

Her hair hung messily around her face and over her shoulders, having not bothered brushing it or pulling it up. She wore an oversized basketball jersey over short cotton shorts, having just thrown on what was comfortable for her day at home. She wondered if it was someone coming to check on her, upon request of her friends. She shook her head, they were probably far too busy to remember to send someone to check on her.

Opening the door slowly, she stared up at who met her. Her mouth practically dropped open in shock. "Aomine?"


	4. Chapter 4

Aomine stood in her doorway, staring down at Ivy. He couldn't help but notice she was wearing his favourite team's jersey. Her hair was a mess, and she had dark rings under her eyes, obviously she hadn't slept much. That didn't bother him at all, she still looked beautiful standing there, the light catching little sections of her hair from behind, illuminating the colour, it was like a wild fire. He cleared his throat, looking away awkwardly. "Kuroko asked me to stop by, since I didn't go to school today." He rubbed the back of his head. "I kinda expected you to be asleep."

"I couldn't sleep." She answered plainly, looking away from him. She moved from the door, letting him into the apartment. "Thank you." She stated, without looking at him.

"For what?" he was shocked. Did she just thank him? Was it for saving her the first time, or completely stopping her on the bridge? Looking around the apartment, he tried to act like he didn't care what she was going to say, but the truth was, he wanted to know. He wanted to know she was ok, he wanted to know she felt comfortable in her life now, he just wanted to help her.

"You snapped me back to reality last night." She answered, sitting on the couch, pulling her knees up to her chest. "After I left the store, I pretty much don't remember anything. I can't exactly remember what you said to me, but I remember your face, staring down into mine." She rested her left cheek on her knees, looking at him. Her eyes were sad, but less broken than the night before. "I hardly know you, yet there's something about you…" she sighed, looking away from him again.

Aomine blinked a little, surprised by her words. He knew exactly how she felt, sort of. He knew that even though he barely knew her, he wanted to take her pain away. He wanted to see her smile, a true smile, not the one she put on to hide her pain. He wanted to know the real her. "I know what you mean." He reached over, touching her shoulder lightly. "I want to help."

"How? How could you possibly help?" she pushed him slightly, standing up. "How are you supposed to help with the dark, churning pit that fills my inner self?" she stamped a foot, staring at him. "How am I supposed to trust someone I barely know?" her voice grew quiet. "When the people who I've known my whole life do nothing but hurt me." He barely heard her, but he understood. He stood hesitantly, gently pulling her close. He wrapped his arms around her, squeezing gently.

Ivy stiffened. The rage that had been churning in her chest began to dissipate. He was so warm, she had never felt so safe. Very slowly, she leant into him. What was it about the tall stranger that made her feel so protected? Blinking, she realised that she had relaxed. Pushing him slightly, she gave him a look of denial. "What do you think you're doing?" she stepped back, glaring up at him. He was taking advantage of her weakened mental state. He had to be. She took a few steps away from him. "What kind of person are you? Taking advantage of a girl when she's in pain!" she pointed to the door quickly. "Get out!"

She didn't want to send him away, but there was no way she could trust him. He'd turn out just like everyone else. They always did, every time she began to trust someone, they turned out to be an arse, out to look after themselves. She sniffled a little, trying to keep herself from crying. "Get out! Get out and don't come back!" This was easier. Sending him away before she got attached, then there was no way he could hurt her, was there? There was something inside her chest, tightening at the thought of him leaving, but it was for the best.

When he stayed where he was, she swung, connecting her fist with his chest. "Get out!" Hot tears ran down her cheeks. Why was she crying? Was it because he wasn't listening? Or… was it because she was making him leave?

Aomine winced, a hand pressing to his chest. She was crying, and screaming at him. Just a moment before she had let him hug her, but now, she was trying her best to make him leave. He didn't want to leave. The throb in his chest began to worsen, damn that girl had a swing on her. He gave in, turning to walk towards the door. "Fine, I'll leave." He looked back at her, a lump forming in his throat. "But I'm going to keep coming back." He wanted to help. He wanted to know her, all of her, the good and the bad. He closed the door behind him, wincing as he spotted an older woman glaring at him from across the hall. "What are you looking at?" he snapped at her, before stomping off, a scowl finding its way to his face.

What was wrong with that girl? He was trying to help, offering to be with her, offering to help her recover. He winced again, feeling his chest tighten. He really needed to start wearing padding when he went to visit her. Soon, he found himself standing on a basketball court. He sighed. "What am I doing? Asking her to trust someone she barely knows." He sat on the court, huffing to himself. How was anyone supposed to trust him when he couldn't do the same for them? He flopped back, resting his head on his bag, staring up at the sky. He was being hypocritical asking her to trust someone who didn't know trust. What was he going to do? He couldn't just keep showing up at her home, that would be creepy. He reached for his phone, dialling a number, before resting it against his ear. "Tetsu." He sighed, closing his eyes. "I need your help."

Ivy sat, wedged between her bed and the wall, barely visible to anyone who dared enter her room. She rocked slowly, sobbing loudly. Who did he think he was? Wedging his way into her mind, into her life. Yes, she wanted to live, she wanted to find a way to push the darkness down, but she didn't want anyone to hurt her again. Her body shuddered lightly as she tried to breathe. There had to be something she could do. The pain in her stomach had started again, soon after he stormed out. Taking a shaky breath, she tried to curl tighter into herself. She had removed the spare key from outside, so no one could get into her apartment. She wanted to be alone. She wanted the world to disappear. What else was there? She wanted to be alone, being alone meant no one could hurt her. Maybe letting Kagami and Kuroko into her life wasn't the best move she could have made. They made her feel alive again, which was good, but when they left it made her feel worse. Cutting things off was for the best. She would just stay in her own little world, maybe she'd even stop going to school. She didn't need her grades, no one cared if she was the smartest girl in their school. Half of them didn't even notice she was there. That was it. She would leave school, get a new job and start over. She nodded, starting to fall asleep. That was the right decision.

Aomine frowned, looking at Kagami and Kuroko. "What do you mean, she won't let you in?"

"She changed her locks, and stopped coming to school." Kuroko answered plainly. He sipped on his vanilla milkshake, expressionless eyes staring up at him.

"We think she's had a breakdown. We don't even know if she's been leaving her apartment." Kagami explained, looking up from his pile of hamburgers. "We're worried."

"Why come to me?" Aomine looked off to the side. He hadn't seen her in two weeks, he had forced himself to stay away, not even asking Kuroko or Kagami about her. Though she was still always on his mind, he had given her space. Getting beat on by a girl didn't do anything good for his ego. "She doesn't even like me."

"She does." Kuroko interjected. "She let you into her apartment, without either of us there for backup."

"So?" Aomine was confused. She didn't like him, she hit him, she screamed at him, and sent him away.

"She doesn't do that for anyone. That apartment is all she has, it took us forever to be allowed in." Kagami spoke through mouthfuls of food.

"Right." He didn't believe them. Looking at them again, he tried to think. "Have you two just sat at her apartment, checking if she's really there?" he was starting to worry, if they hadn't seen her for days, there was a chance she really had killed herself.

"We did, for a while, but the lady from next door chased us off." Kuroko answered, nonchalantly. "She was yelling something about there being too many boys causing that girl issues."

"She gave me a pretty dirty look when I got kicked out." He sighed. Standing up, he looked at them. "Did you not think, that after she's tried to kill herself twice, she might be injured or dead in her apartment?"

"Wouldn't it smell?" Kagami looked at him like he was an idiot. Aomine felt his eye twitch, a scowl forming on his face.

"You fucking idiot." He turned, walking out of the building. Walking quickly, he headed towards her apartment. If he was lucky, she hadn't killed herself. He needed to know she was ok. He paused on the bridge, blinking a little. There she was. She was standing with a tall man, chatting with that fake smile on her face. What the hell was going on? He rushed closer, grabbing her by the shoulder, only to realise it wasn't her. "Sorry." He grunted, letting the stranger go. Was he going crazy? He rubbed his eyes, never letting up on his rushed pace. Looking up, he spotted her again, giggling with a middle aged woman, he raised an arm in the air, only to stop himself, the woman giggling turning back into a stranger. Was he seeing things? She'd been on his mind so much lately, and learning that she had disappeared, he was starting to see her everywhere.

Jogging up the stairs, he took a deep breath. There was no smell, no signs that there was anything wrong. He knocked lightly on her door as he reached it, crossing his fingers. She was going to be there, he knew it deep inside of himself. He waited, listening closely. There was a soft sound inside, like shuffling. His heart skipped a beat. She was ok. The door opened slowly, her pale face coming into view. A lump formed in his throat, his breath catching. She'd lost weight, it was obvious in her face. The second the door was wide enough for him to see all of her, he threw his arms around her, in a tight hug. He felt her stiffen, though she didn't back away. He held her tighter, mumbling slowly. "I was worried. They said you dropped out of school." he clung to her tighter. "I thought…" he paused, moving to look down at her shocked face. "I thought you did it… ended it all."

"Aomine." She spoke slowly, looking up at him. Her voice was so soft, weak. There were tears in her eyes, welling and threatening to overflow.

"Don't cry. Don't you dare cry." He ordered her, practically forcing his way into her apartment. It was a mess, dishes piled up on the sink, clothes scattered around the small living space. He didn't care. She was alive. She looked so fragile in his arms, he couldn't help but tear up a little himself. He shook his head, grumbling. "Why the hell would you do this to yourself?"

"I lost my job, remember." She mumbled weakly, her face now hidden in his chest. She felt cold to the touch, it worried him.

"I told you I'd help you find a new one." He sighed out, moving her to the couch, sitting her down, kneeling in front of her. He took in the clothes she was wearing, they looked tattered, like she'd fallen in them recently. "Did you jump off something again?"

"No." she answered, looking serious. He sighed again, reaching up to lightly cup her face.

"Have you been eating?"

"A little." She averted her eyes from his. She hadn't been eating correctly, he could tell.

"We're going to order food. I'll pay." He stated, reaching into his pocket for his phone.

Ivy couldn't look at him. How was it whenever she felt like it was time to give up, he was always there? She had been planning on just curling up and never moving again, but there he was, all worry and anger. She watched him, tears forming in her eyes. He was her guardian angel. The one who stopped her wanting to hurt herself. The light shining in her dark world. She knew it for sure now. The last two weeks she'd been thinking of him, every time she contemplated ending it, his face would come back to her, whispering, _'we don't want this to be like the beach again, do we?'_. It brought her back from the edge, and it scared her more than anything in the world. She wanted to push him away again, she wanted to run, but something stopped her this time. Being alone was just that, lonely.

She moved, cupping his face lightly. "I want to know you." She mumbled very softly. She was weak, she could feel herself slipping away again. She'd been woken by his knocking, for the first time in nearly six hours. He rode in on his white horse, all shimmering armour and knightly acts. She slumped forward, mumbling again, her head resting against his shoulder. "I'm so tired, Aomine." Maybe she was dreaming. That could happen, maybe he wasn't here at all, this was just a hunger induced dream.

Warm arms wrapped around her hips, lifting her off of the couch slightly. The warmth continued, meeting her butt, and left side. She opened one eye lazily, not sure what was going on. A frown formed on her face, realising that she was now sitting in his lap, while he worked on a wrapped treat. She opened her mouth to protest against whatever he was planning.

As she opened her mouth, Aomine smirked a little, popping the small chocolate into her mouth. She was so weak from hunger she had passed out against his shoulder. He needed to get some form of nutrients into her. He had a sports drink in his bag, that would work. He reached for his bag slowly, watching her as she savoured the chocolate. "Don't fight this, ok?" he muttered, holding her up straight while he held the bottle of drink to her lips. It would give her back some of the electrolytes she had lost from lack of food. Why did he want to help her so much? The shine had left her hair, leaving it dull and lifeless. Her skin was pale, sickly. Her looks didn't seem to matter to him anymore. Though he barely knew her, he didn't care if she was the most beautiful woman in the world, or if she grew a second head. He thought about what she had said before she collapsed against him, a small smile forming on his lips. "I want to know you too." He really meant it too.

Helping her sip at the drink and eat small snacks from his bag, he stroked her hair lightly. "When was the last time you bathed?" he wasn't trying to be rude, he was worried that she would get sick if she hadn't bathed recently. She didn't answer him, her face screwing up. "Not too recently then." He answered for her, hooping his arm around her waist, carrying her towards the small bathroom in her apartment. He had no desire to take advantage of her, all he wanted to do was help. He knew she was too weak to stand, so he moved to sit her on the bench. "You're going to have a bath." He stated plainly, starting to run the water.

She still didn't argue. He looked at her, a little worried that she had left him again. He smiled softly as he noticed her sitting there silently, a peaceful look in her eyes. She looked deep in thought, though it didn't seem like she was upset with him. He brushed his fingers over his chest, which had finally healed of all the bruises she had left on him. He checked the water as it reached a decent depth, nodding in approval, it wasn't too hot, but it wasn't cold. Turning to her, he held out a hand. "You have two options, either you take your clothes off and let me help you into the bath, or I force you."

"Why do you want to help me?" she gave him a half smile. "Don't you think I'm capable of bathing myself?" there was a note of teasing in her voice which he had never heard before. He moved a little again, helping her down from the counter.

"Do you not want me to see you naked?" he had to admit, teasing her was nice. He didn't want to impose on her if she didn't want him to see her naked, but he did want to make sure she was safe, being in here with her was the only way he could do that. "I can turn away until you're in the water, the bubbles will hide your body from my eyes."

"That might be better than letting you see me right away." She admitted, looking down shyly. She fiddled with the hem of her shirt, waiting for him to turn.

Turning away from her, he pulled his phone from his pocket, texting Kuroko. _'Bring food, lots of vegetables and healthy meals. She looks like she hasn't eaten in a week.'_ He heard the rustle of fabric against skin, causing a blush to rise on her cheeks. He bit the inside of his lip, shoving his phone back into his pocket. He stood silently, waiting to hear the sound of her step into the water.

Jerking forwards, he felt a light hand press to his back. "Is something wrong?" he answered, his voice cracking as he spoke. What else could he ask? She had asked him not to look, and now she wouldn't get in the water.

This was all a dream, Ivy decided. Looking at the vast expanses of Aomine's back, she smiled to herself softly. Standing naked behind him, she wanted his help. If it was a dream he could at least help her into the water. "Would you help me in?" her voice was almost a purr. There was no darkness blurring her vision as it usually did in her dreams, but it didn't bother her. She watched him stiffly turn towards her, holding a hand out for her. Gently, she laced her fingers with his, giving him a warm smile. His eyes widened a little as they trailed over her body, before pausing on her thighs. She followed his gaze, wincing a little. "They aren't that deep." She mumbled, using her free hand to hide the various cuts and scars from his view. They were high on her thigh, in the fleshy part, where it would only cause pain instead of causing her to bleed out, and high enough to hide under her shorts or skirts. Taking a breath, she looked back into his eyes. "When I feel numb, sometimes… It helps to cut." She took half a step towards the bath. "Help me in, please." She almost begged him, licking her lips lightly. She felt a lot better since he had given her the strange tasting blue drink from his bag.

Sinking into the water, she sighed heavily. The water was just right, it smelled of vanilla and boysenberries, the bubbles tickling her skin. Why hadn't she had a bath in three days again? Why would she deprive herself of such a wonderful feeling? She looked up at Aomine again, he made her feel so peaceful. Maybe he was here to lead her into the afterlife. He looked stiff and awkward, trying not to stare directly at her. "Thankyou."


End file.
